Florida-California Cancer Health Equity Center (CaRE2) Community Scientist Research Advocacy Program.

The Community Scientist Program (CSP), a model connecting researchers with community members, is effective to inform and involve the general population in health-related clinical research. Given the existing cancer disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations, more models describing how cancer-related CSPs are designed, implemented, and evaluated are needed. The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center is a tri-institutional, bicoastal center created to eliminate cancer health disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations living in California and in Florida. The CaRE2 Center created a Community Scientist Research Advocacy (CSRA) training program for community members to become cancer research advocates. The CSRA program is currently a 13-week program conducted 100% virtually with all materials provided in English and Spanish for participants to learn more about prostate, lung, and pancreas cancers, ongoing research at CaRE2, and ways to share cancer research throughout their communities. Participants attend didactic lectures on cancer research during weeks 1-5. In week 4, participants join CSRA self-selected groups based on cancer-related topics of interest. Each group presents their cancer-related advocacy project developed during weeks 5-12 at the final session. In this paper, we describe the CaRE2 Health Equity Center's CSRA program, share results, and discuss opportunities for improvement in future program evaluation as well as replication of this model in other communities.

Texas physicians' perceptions of genomic medicine as an innovation.

Primary care providers (PCPs) are believed to be the professionals who, in the near future, will be responsible for incorporating genomic medicine (GM) into primary care. Given the dearth of empirical data describing PCPs' beliefs about GM and the relationship between beliefs and the incorporation of GM into practice, this study assessed whether (and to what extent) PCPs' perceptions of GM as an innovation influence their likelihood of adopting this innovation into primary care. The study utilized diffusion of innovations theory as a framework. A state-wide representative sample of PCPs practicing in Texas responded to a mailed survey. The survey measured PCPs' perceptions of five characteristics of GM as an innovation. Findings suggest that among the five characteristics examined GM's relative advantage, compatibility with current practice, its complexity, and observability were the strongest predictors of likelihood to adopt GM tasks into primary care practice.